College News

Catawba College Graduating Seniors Active in Job Search

College graduation season is almost here, and that means thousands of college seniors in the Carolinas will soon be in the job market.

One recent survey actually has some encouraging news for job seekers, but how easy will it really be to find work?

According to a new survey by Career Builder, chances may be improving.

The total number of employers planning to hire recent college graduates in 2010 – 44 percent – is relatively unchanged from 43 percent in 2009 and is down from a high of 79 percent in 2007.

One-in-five employers (21 percent) who are hiring recent college graduates said they will hire more than they did last year. Sixteen percent also reported they will offer higher starting salaries than they did in 2009, an improvement from 11 percent in last year's survey.

On the campus of Catawba College in Salisbury, WBTV found several seniors talking about job prospects.

"I'm a marketing major and I hope to get into sales somewhere around Charlotte, Greensboro," said Keith Carrigan from Concord. "I've had some good leads, an interview in Charlotte, good opportunity to get my foot in the door. I feel like things have gotten better ... employers are willing to talk to you more."

D.J. Shipp from Salisbury plans to play professional football in Europe, but he says many of his friends are worried about finding work after graduation.

"They're really considering going to grad school because there isn't much of a job market available," Shipp said.

"I actually just got a job at the US embassy," said Kali McCullough. "I'm moving to France in September and I'm really excited about that."

"I've applied to several different internship positions but I haven't heard back from them yet," Cole told WBTV.

The Career Builder survey also asked employers about starting salaries for recent grads.

Thirty percent of employers plan to offer recent college graduates starting salaries ranging between $30,000 and $40,000. An additional 19 percent will offer between $40,000 and $50,000, and 19 percent will offer $50,000 or more. Thirty-three percent will offer less than $30,000.